SHARE ARTICLE

Goss’s Wilt: Early Systemic and Late Blight Symptoms

Goss’s Wilt is a bacterial disease with two phases: early-season vascular wilt and mid-season leaf blight.

Goss’s Wilt is a bacterial disease with two phases: early-season vascular wilt and mid-season leaf blight.

What to Consider

Goss’s Wilt is a persistent and economically significant disease of dent, food-grade, sweet corn, and popcorn.1 The disease is observed in two distinct phases: a less frequent vascular wilt that appears earlier in the season, and a leaf blight that appears mid-season. Symptoms of Goss’s Wilt can be confused with drought, nutrient deficiency, and other foliar diseases such as Northern corn leaf blight.

Early-season Symptoms

Systemic infection may occur resulting in wilting and plant death.

Infection moves throughout water-conducting tissues in plants.

Orange to brown discoloration of vascular tissues followed by wilting and plant death.1,2

Lesions fade to a tan color and may blight large areas of leaves (Figure 2).

Infection Sources. The bacterium Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis, overwinters in crop residue and enters plants through wounds created by injuries from wind, sand, or hail. The disease can spread from one field to another through displacement of crop residue. Within fields, initial infection can occur as rain or irrigation water splashes bacteria from infected crop residue onto corn plants.

Conditions Favoring Disease. Reduced tillage in conjunction with continuous corn allows corn residue to remain intact and provides an overwintering place for bacteria. Low levels of Goss’s Wilt can go undetected until environmental conditions (80° F temperatures) favor development of the disease.1 During hot, dry weather, Goss’s Wilt symptoms are harder to distinguish from drought stress and other disorders. Goss’s Wilt can survive in and on seed; however, transmission to and from seed to seedling is very low.3 Seed conditioning processes remove naturally occurring, heavily infected seeds from commercial seed lots.

Yield

In areas where management options are limited, Goss’s Wilt has the potential to be a difficult disease to control. Goss’s Wilt may cause significant yield loss during years with favorable conditions and in fields planted with susceptible cultivars.

Systemic infections may start early, but can cause plant death during any time during the season. Losses from systemic infections can get up to 50 percent during years when conditions are favorable in fields with susceptible cultivars.1 A 60 bu/acre yield loss has been reported for bacterial wilt and leaf blight.2 There are no reliable in-season control measures recommended and the best management of an existing infection is to assess it and plan for the next season.

Management

Goss’s Wilt management should center around crop rotation, tillage practices, and weed management. Corn seed products with tolerance to Goss’s Wilt can be selected for fields with a history of the disease (Figure 3).

Rotating out of corn for two or more years can provide good control of Goss’s Wilt by allowing infected residue to degrade and bacterial populations to diminish before corn is planted again. Non-host crops include alfalfa, oats, wheat, soybeans, and sugar beets.

Any tillage operation which buries infected crop residue, encouraging decomposition, can be effective in reducing bacterial populations and the rate of new infection. However, this is not a practical option in conservation tillage systems.

Grass weeds including green foxtail, barnyard grass, and shattercane can also serve as hosts for the bacteria, and be a reservoir from which bacteria spread to corn plants.2 Controlling weeds can help limit sources of inoculum.

Laboratory testing can confirm the presence of Goss’s Wilt in fields. Samples should include completed forms and be packaged according to laboratory instructions. Include information that can be useful for a correct diagnosis such as factors that you suspect may have caused symptoms similar to Goss’s Wilt.

In summary, Goss’s Wilt has the potential to be a difficult disease to control in-season. Significant loss of yield potential may occur during seasons with favorable environmental conditions. Corn products should be selected to tolerate Goss’s Wilt where there has been a history of this disease.

XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology is part of the Roundup Ready® Xtend Crop System and is a restricted use pesticide. ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. It is a violation of federal and state law to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. XtendiMax® herbicide with VaporGrip® Technology and products with XtendFlex® Technology may not be approved in all states and may be subject to use restrictions in some states. Check with your local product dealer or representative or U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency for the product registration status and additional restrictions in your state. For approved tank-mix products and nozzles visit XtendiMaxApplicationRequirements.com.

Commercialization is dependent on multiple factors, including successful conclusion of the regulatory process. The information presented herein is provided for educational purposes only, and is not and shall not be construed as an offer to sell, or a recommendation to use, any unregistered pesticide for any purpose whatsoever. It is a violation of federal law to promote or offer to sell an unregistered pesticide.

Do not export Roundup Ready® Alfalfa seed or crop, including hay or hay products, to China pending import approval. In addition, due to the unique cropping practices do not plant Roundup Ready® Alfalfa in Imperial County, California, pending import approvals and until Forage Genetics International, LLC (FGI) grants express permission for such planting.

Forage Genetics International, LLC (“FGI”) is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). FGI products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with FGI’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. Certain products have been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Growers should refer to http://www.biotradestatus.com/ for any updated information on import country approvals. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Monsanto Company is a member of Excellence Through Stewardship® (ETS). Monsanto products are commercialized in accordance with ETS Product Launch Stewardship Guidance, and in compliance with Monsanto’s Policy for Commercialization of Biotechnology-Derived Plant Products in Commodity Crops. This product has been approved for import into key export markets with functioning regulatory systems. Any crop or material produced from this product can only be exported to, or used, processed or sold in countries where all necessary regulatory approvals have been granted. It is a violation of national and international law to move material containing biotech traits across boundaries into nations where import is not permitted. Growers should talk to their grain handler or product purchaser to confirm their buying position for this product. Excellence Through Stewardship® is a registered trademark of Excellence Through Stewardship.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW DIRECTIONS FOR USE ON PESTICIDE LABELING. IT IS A VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW to use any pesticide product other than in accordance with its labeling. NOT ALL formulations of dicamba or glyphosate are approved for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans. ONLY USE FORMULATIONS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY LABELED FOR SUCH USES AND APPROVED FOR SUCH USE IN THE STATE OF APPLICATION. Contact the U.S. EPA and your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions about the approval status of dicamba herbicide products for in-crop use with Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans.

Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans contains genes that confer tolerance to glyphosate and dicamba. Glyphosate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glyphosate. Dicamba will kill crops that are not tolerant to dicamba. Glufosinate will kill crops that are not tolerant to glufosinate. Contact your Monsanto dealer or refer to Monsanto’s Technology Use Guide for recommended weed control programs.

B.t. products may not yet be registered in all states. Check with your Monsanto representative for the registration status in your state.

IMPORTANT IRM INFORMATION: RIB Complete® corn blend products do not require the planting of a structured refuge except in the Cotton-Growing Area where corn earworm is a significant pest. SmartStax® RIB Complete® corn blend is not allowed to be sold for planting in the Cotton-Growing Area. See the IRM/Grower Guide for additional information. Always read and follow IRM requirements.

Performance may vary, from location to location and from year to year, as local growing, soil and weather conditions may vary. Growers should evaluate data from multiple locations and years whenever possible and should consider the impacts of these conditions on the grower’s fields.

The Climate FieldView™ services provide estimates or recommendations based on models. These do not guarantee results. Consult your agronomist, commodities broker and other service professionals before making financial, risk management, and farming decisions. Information and recommendations we provide do not modify your rights under insurance policies purchased through our affiliates. More information at www.climate.com/disclaimers.